


Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

by FanfictionReader2015AD



Series: Harry Potter: Half Blood Prince and Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Gen, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter Friendship, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:29:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25441690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanfictionReader2015AD/pseuds/FanfictionReader2015AD
Series: Harry Potter: Half Blood Prince and Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1891204





	1. Chapter 1

“Stay safe Harry! I’ll miss you!”  
Harry James Potter, now aged 16, sighed as he looked at the last words of the letter he had last received from his female best friend, Hermione Jane Granger.  
‘I’d almost say that she’s been bored…’ Harry thought, looking through the entire letter again, and sighing. ‘Then again, she’s not alone.’  
Truly, being bored was the worst ever fate someone could have. He was so bored and so done with his damned life he couldn’t help but think how could he turn things to be different from what he was. And what he had become.  
The mad, deviant look in Voldemort’s reptilian eyes still haunted his nightmares, and so did the almost resigned accepting in Sirius’s eyes as he fell through the veil. It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair that Sirius died. He shouldn’t have died. He didn’t deserve to die. He should have lived.  
He had suffered enough in Azkaban. Enough. But of course, life and fate simply seemed to steal away people and happiness from him, rather than give him happiness.  
First, his parents James Potter and Lily J. Potter, taken away before he could even comprehend knowing them. Then his childhood, because at times safety was more important than comfort. It had taken him all this time to understand that, and he refused to accept it truly. He despised the Dursleys Family, and how they treated him, but the fact Voldemort couldn’t touch him for about 15 years was more than enough for him to accept it that perhaps, the blood wards around the Dursleys were extremely powerful enough for him to be safe.

And he had to be safe because the destiny of the whole world depended on him. Him. A barely OWLs passed a young man that didn’t even know half of what the magical world entailed. That was barely above average in his grades. That was barely better than the rest of his peers.  
Or maybe it was because they simply thought that if he couldn’t do it, then so couldn’t they. It never did stop Hermione, though. It never did stop because she simply didn’t care about what people thought of her. She didn’t need to. She didn’t have to. And yet he did. But he couldn’t hold it onto her.  
Because without Hermione Granger, he would be dead. He would be 500 feet under. She had been the one that had helped him learn all those spells for the tournament. She had been the one that would tell him he had done a good job in his essays and she had been the one that taught her how to read French during the 5th year when he was letting the essence of dittany soothe his hands. Yes, she was truly special to him. Truly.  
“Why am I thinking like this?” Harry asked himself, gathering his Quill and Inkpot to return the letter, stroking Hedwig once while he was at it. “Why? Why am I thinking of Hermione like this?”

It wasn’t as if he didn’t know what was going through his head. He was a 16 year old boy, she was a 16 year old girl. She was beautiful, heavily so. Long gone was the bushy haired girl with long teeth. She had become a young woman now. A young woman that was interested in succeeding in life and making sure he survived. He was crushing on her, he had known it since his 3rd year. But he didn’t act on it ever.  
Why would he act on it? How would he act on it? How could he act on it? Whenever Ronald Bilius Ron Weasley and Hermione argued, he would always support Ron. Whenever they asked for his opinion, he would support something that Ron would have liked. He would put fun before his studies, and never act like Hermione.  
Was that why he was crushing on her like this? No. It couldn’t be. And it wasn’t.  
He was crushing on her simply because of how she worked and lived. A bossy witch that would do anything to help anyone that needed help. She was very much like he wanted to be. Someone in control of their life, complete control, succeeded regardless of the discrimination she faced by Pure Blood Families. And that had lead to him crushing on her.  
‘Damn it.’ Harry shook his head. ‘I can’t think of her like that, Harry. I can’t. And she wouldn’t want to date me either way. She’s crushing on Ron. She has always been fancying him.’

Harry sighed, slowly starting to write the letter in return to her’s. He didn’t want to go through this. He already had enough problems as it was, he didn’t want any more problems over it. A mass murderer was behind him, he couldn’t let teenage problems butt in the midst of all that. Not right now.  
‘It’s just a crush.’ Harry thought. ‘Nothing more. Crushes go away. Like the one, I had on Cho. It’s not anything to be worried about, not right now.’  
Yes, he couldn’t worry about this. He wouldn’t worry about this. If he did worry about it, then he would never, never be able to escape the trap that he had settled himself in. He would think and always think about Hermione, and about how beautiful she was. He had to move on.  
He had to focus on Voldemort. He had to focus on surviving another year at Hogwarts. He had to focus on his studies to have a normal, proper year. He had to, had to focus on things that weren’t his teenage male problems because otherwise…..  
He’d lose all that he had left. He was no fool, Voldemort wasn’t going to spare him. He was going to kill him and there would be nothing that he could do about it.  
He had no idea, that at the same time in another city in the United Kingdom, a bushy haired witch was thinking along the same lines as him, and reaching to conclusions far different than his.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione Granger had one of the brightest minds that anyone had ever seen in their lifetimes. Even people like Albus Dumbledore, and Harry Potter, admitted that she was, perhaps, the brightest witch of the world, even if she wasn’t out of the school yet. Hermione would of course deny that vehemently, considering she looked up to Professor McGonagall as the brightest witch of the world.  
But there was a lot of truth when people said she was smart. Her intelligence was way beyond what a simple, normal girl would have. She was able to think and do a lot of things that not everyone could do. She could solve most problems that others her age(except maybe Harry who was a lot more resourceful than her) could solve within seconds. She knew how much her intelligence mattered to her, she went to school and was the best friend of Harry Potter, who was basically the modern Merlin for people her age, and people younger than her.

He may be blind to it or choose to be blind to it, but she wasn’t. She saw the looks people would shoot him. Of awe and filled with childish wonder. Children realizing that the stories they had been read to when they went to sleep at nights were aimed at a person that was literally standing in front of them. Colin Creevey was one of those kids, but he was by far the most forward one she had the chance of meeting. Really, there were others, she knew it(Ginny Weasley, for one.)  
But she knew Harry Potter. Not the one that people fantasized about. Not the one that everyone wanted to be. But the true Harry Potter. He was someone that simply wanted to live life, as well as he could live, and just be normal. It was rather sad to see him come to the resigned acceptance that he could never be normal. Literally, the guy had a Prophecy on his head. A prophecy that entailed that he was going to die if he didn’t off a maniac of a mass-murder that had been behind his head even before he was born. How did that work out, she didn’t know. She wanted to pity Harry, she really did want to pity him, but that would end up with harry loathing her, and she didn’t want that.  
On the contrary, she wanted him to notice her more than just a best friend. It was a very startling, very, very horrifying realization that she had come up to. She had a crush on her best friend, and she was fantasizing about him. And she knew that she was only trying to bury the said crush when she acted as if she fancied Ron(who, luckily, couldn’t even figure out that she was fancying him). But the truth of the matter was simple.

She. Fancied. Harry. Potter.  
How could she not? He had jumped on the back of a Troll when it had tried to crush her. He had been the one to lead Ron to the Bathroom when he realized she wasn’t with them. He had been the one to come to her every single time he could when she was petrified. He was the one that supported her when everyone would call her names. His only problem was he would choose Ron over her.  
Which only made him fancy more because that showed the amount of Loyalty Harry Potter had. The sheer, utter loyalty was enough to blow her mind off. Sure, he was nobler than anyone that she had the pleasure of knowing, an exasperating trait of the young man. And he was also the most powerful wizard that she had met other than Dumbledore. Really, he would try to downplay it but no 3rd year could form a Corporeal Patronus. No 4th year could actually push off Voldemort’s Imperius. And Certainly, no 5th year could teach an entire school a subject when the teacher was utterly incompetent at it.

She knew what his game was really. He was a kinesthetic learner. He learned by doing not reading. For him, studies were waving wands and watching spells succeed, rather than reading books and learning how to wave wands. As far as she knew, in classes, he was right behind her in performances, and even above her in the sheer power behind them. Sure, he could use a bit of brushing up on theory, but it didn’t change the fact Harry was a brilliant young man with a far too curious and perceptive mind.  
Not anyone would figure out the clues as fast as he did to save his life when no one around him wished to do so. And really, the last year had been a complete and utter pain. It was more about Voldemort's almost daily visions. Snape’s torment. Umbridge’s abuse. And that was it. With the fact that Dumbledore was also ignoring him….yeah, she could see why Harry was so angry. Well this year, she had made sure not to stay away from him.  
No. This year was going to be different. Hermione Granger was not a submissive witch. She was Bossy. She liked being on top of things, and she had a target. Harry Potter.  
She would, would bring out the intelligent young man she knew he was from within that charade of normality and sheer grief, and they would find a way to beat that damn Prophecy and Voldemort.

But before that eventual day came, they would enjoy their life together, because really, the best deserved the best. Hermione Granger was the brightest witch of her age, let people call her haughty and arrogant. Harry Potter was the best wizard of his age, let Malfoy say whatever he wanted to regarding that.  
And the best and the brightest deserved another best and the brightest, and she was going to get him, no matter what he had to say to that. Because really, there could not be a Harry Potter without a Hermione Granger, and vice versa.


	3. Chapter 3

One of the most important things that Harry knew that was going to happen right after his birthday was, the fact that Dumbledore was going to visit him. Harry had made sure to finish all of his homework before he visited(considering the around 18 times Hermione had written for him to finish the homework, and the sudden urge he had to not disappoint her about it), he had done it. He didn’t know why but he felt rather….odd about not wanting to disappoint Hermione, and he knew that he would have to be really good in school as well).  
As it stood, Dumbledore could be coming in anytime now, and Harry didn’t want to give a bad impression no matter how ‘bad’ their relationship was. Honestly, he didn’t know how to treat the older man. Up until his 4th year, he had thought of the man as a grandfather of sorts, but the past year he felt so….wrong by him that it just didn’t make sense. Now though, considering the man had promised to give him some lessons, and hopefully, it would be enough for him to fight Voldemort.  
Now that brought a frown to his face, a troubled frown. He had been trying, in vain, to follow Snape’s exercises about Occulumeny, but it didn’t help. For a brief moment, he thought that he was an utter failure in Occulumency, but then he remembered some words that Hermione had spoken once, in one of her letters.  
Harry, I can’t say for certain why you don’t perform to your full potential. You managed to learn spells that most adult wizards don’t in their lifetime, and managed to teach it to everyone before they gave their OWLs, some who were even younger. But I know what pressure is. If you can’t perform to the best that you can be, don’t be sad. Sometimes, one simply doesn’t have an aptitude for something. Loathe as I am to admit it, your aptitude for practical magics is far greater than mine, even if I know more spells than you do.

It was something he had changed. He had asked Hermione about a book on spells, and she had responded with 4 of them, all 4 he rather liked to read and learn. But today was a special day. Today, of all days, was when Dumbledore was going to come over. And as the man had promised, he was there exactly at 9pm in the night.  
“Good Evening, Harry. I hope your stay here has been…..productive.” Dumbledore said, taking a moment to look at the Dursleys. Harry wanted to snort. His stays with the Dursleys were never productive. Harry didn’t know how much it would cost him, but he planned on getting out of here when he was 17 as soon as possible. He had a nice chunk of gold in his Gringotts account, and from what Dumbledore’s only letter had told him, Sirius had left something to him in his will as well. “There is much we must do and talk about. Can I talk to your relatives first?”  
After dealing with the Dursleys(and wasn’t it fun to see Dumbledore’s little cups smack them in the head), they had left for someplace called Blackmoor.  
“Why are we here, Headmaster?” Cutting down to the chase, Harry decided to ask the man about the reason why they were here. Dumbledore looked at Harry and smiled at the young man with those infuriatingly twinkly eyes.  
“Why, my boy, that is a surprise!” The elderly man said, looking ahead. “We are here simply to get some help for our efforts against Voldemort.”  
As they walked forward, they came to the house that they were supposed to go to. Right in front of them was a simple, Muggle House. The only problem was the door seemed broken, the glasses on the windows were cracked, and it seemed as if something had happened here.  
“Wands out, Harry!” Dumbledore said, going ramrod straight. He shouldn’t have bothered. He had his wand already in his hand, ready to cast magic at a moment’s notice. He followed Dumbledore inside specifically to look at someone, anyone, who was in there. The first thing he noticed was the way all the chairs and things were laid all over the place. There seemed to be blood on the walls and a lot of things just harried over everywhere. Either a tornado had gone in the house, or there was an attack. Strangely, the one thing that caught Harry’s eyes was the old chair that was simply sitting in the distance without even moving.  
“Uh….whoever we’re here for is gone…” Harry said to Dumbledore, though his eyes were still on the chair that was in front of him. Dumbledore smiled again.  
“I think not.” The headmaster said, walking to the chair and poking it in the side. There was a soft grunt, and then the chair suddenly turned into a gigantic, round man with a mustache. “Hello, Horace.”

“Did you have to poke me, Albus? It nearly took out my eye!” The man called ‘Horace’ said. “And before you ask, the answer is no. I have been hearing things about your school. Escaped criminals, ministry flunkies, and him?! I am not coming with you.”  
“I am not here to talk about that, Horace,” Dumbledore said as amicably as he always did. Something told him that the man was lying.  
It turned out that they were there, exactly, for what Horace Slughorn thought it was, to ask him to come a teach potions again. Dumbledore had used Harry to actually induct Slughorn back to Hogwarts. Harry wouldn’t have had a problem with it, had he been informed once.  
Now that left his birthday, where he would finally return to where he felt as close to home as he could. The Weasley house. It was something that he had been waiting for so long, simply because that was when he’d meet her again.


	4. Chapter 4

“HARRY!” Harry waited for impact, and a second later he suddenly had Hermione slam into him. He winced as she hugged him as tight as she possibly could, feeling his spine strain under his back. As Dumbledore had promised him, he was able to go to the Burrow right after they had finished their work with Horace Slughorn.  
“Owch, Hermione!” Harry groaned out, wincing and yet hugging her back. “Your hugs hurt damn it!”  
“Sorry. I missed you so much!” Hermione said, leaning back from him and looking up at his face. “So….how have you been?”  
“What do you expect?” Harry asked back, raising his eyebrow. “I’ve been just….well….fine.”  
“….” Hermione narrowed her eyes and pulled him inside of the Burrow, where the rest of the Weasley Family was waiting alongside Ron.  
“Finally let go of the ‘inquisition’ you were going to hold ‘Mione?” Ron asked, amused. He had to duck as she tried to swat him over the head for the nickname, while Harry suddenly found himself in the hug of a very excited Molly Weasley to see him.  
“Shut up Ron.” Hermione rolled her eyes. “And just greet Harry like you’re meant to.”  
“You’re not the only one to send him letters Hermione!” Ron snorted. “And unlike you, I’ve not been corrupting him. Did you know he’s taken up reading?!”  
“I, for one, find that very, very interesting, Ronald,” Hermione growled out. Before she could explode, Harry patted her on the shoulders.  
“I, for one, do not want the 2 of you to argue the minute I’m here. I shudder the day when you 2 are left alone for more than a week together.” Harry shook his head. “You’ll end up murdering each other.”  
“Hmph.” Hermione huffed. Harry sighed, and looked at the Weasley home with a slight smile on his face. This was what he had always wanted.

Home. And one day, he would make one. Just like this. If only…if only….if only it would be with Hermione, that would make all his dreams come true.  
‘Stop thinking like that, Harry.’ The young Potter thought, his eyebrows twitching as he looked at whatever Fred and George were saying. The rest of his days at the Weasley house were bound to be interesting.  
“So….” It was late in the night, and Harry couldn’t sleep. Molly Weasley was still in the kitchen, and she had allowed him to stay in the living room though only until she and Arthur would go back up. Arthur Weasley was working on something in his shed, and Harry had chosen to read a book. Hermione, strangely, had decided to stay up with him. “How have you been?”  
“….” Harry looked up from the book he was reading, ‘1001 battle spells’, a book that Dumbledore had recommended him and Hermione had it with her. She told her, she hadn’t really read the book, though she felt he would like it. He did, actually. “If you mean by health wise, I’m just fine.”  
“And if I mean just as a friend to another?” Hermione asked, ignoring the twinge in her heart at the word ‘friend’. “You have bags under your eyes, and look as if you’re going to be sick.”  
“*Sigh* I miss Sirius, Hermione,” Harry said frankly and bluntly. “And thinking about him makes me think about my Mum and Dad, and about the monster that stole all of them from me. I’m….just tired of this. The war, the nightmares, and that.”

By ‘that’, he was obviously referring to the Prophecy. Hermione simply smiled at him sympathetically and grasped his hand.  
“Harry, I can’t tell you I know what you’re going through. I’ve never lost someone as close to me as you have. I’ll be brutally honest with you, I hope I never will. I don’t want to see my Mum and Dad murdered. I don’t want to have nightmares about their deaths, and I most certainly don’t want to be targeted by a Monster to the extent like you are being.”  
“Being close to me puts a target on your back though,” Harry said, an eyebrow raising. “You know that as much as I do.”  
“I know and understand that more so than you do, I’ve been thinking all over it during summer and I came to the realization I can’t stand the thought of you facing all of this alone,” Hermione said, her face getting that stubborn look on her face that Harry really, really loved.  
It was the look that she had when she had convinced him he was a great wizard back in the 1st year. It was the look on her face that she had when she had told him he wasn’t evil even if he was a Parselmouth Llanguage.

It was the look she had on her face when she flatly told him the Firebolt was dangerous for him. It was the look she had on her face when she had punched Draco Lucius Malfoy, the look she had on her face when she had invaded the Champions tent, the look she had on her face when she had asked him to form the DA.  
It was the look that Harry had really fallen in love with.  
“I’ll be with you, always. I don’t care if Voldemort comes for me!” Hermione said, her eyes narrowed down and not an ounce on fear in her eyes. Harry simply couldn’t help but be lost in the mesmerizing brown depths, and he gave a small smile that slowly started to get warmer and warmer until it was wide, extremely wide and moisture had gathered in his eyes, though it didn’t spill out.  
“Thanks, Hermione. You….you don’t have any idea how much that means to me.” And it did. It told him 2 things. One, no matter what happened, no matter how many things he lost, he was not alone. And 2, no matter how much he tried to deny it, he fancied Hermione Granger.  
And for the first time, that thought didn’t scare him.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry was tense, and more than just a bit silent. He was thinking or brooding, whatever one might want to say or do. He was silent and simply staring at the plate in front of him, his thoughts a whirlwind of utter fury and confusion. He didn’t know what to think of the situation that had just happened. And he had no idea of what to do about everything that was going on.  
Literally.  
‘I am pretty sure that I saw a Dark-Mark on his hand.’ Harry thought, his face set in a deep frown. “Like, pretty sure….”  
“Pretty sure about what?” He stilled and looked at Ron, who came into the room that they were sharing. “You know your ‘brooding’ phase is something we never like. Usually, it means something bad is about to happen.”  
“If I say something bad has already happened then?” Harry asked an eyebrow raising. Ron snorted, sitting on his bed. “I’ll be blunt. Back in Diagon Alley, I am pretty sure I saw a Dark-Mark on Malfoy’s hand.”  
“A Dark-Mark?” Ron asked, incredulous. “Harry are you serious? I know Malfoy’s a git, but being one of the Death Eaters? That just…….it is not right, Harry! He’s not that bad.”  
“I am sure of what I saw,” Harry said confidently, his eyes absolutely firm about it. “And I don’t know why, but everything feels as if….it’s not right. I’m being honest when I say this Ron. He’s up to something.”  
“Well whatever that is, we can’t take care of it right now.” Ron shook his head. “It’s still summer vacation, and for the first time ever I’ve completed my summer homework because of your and Hermione’s nagging.”

Harry shrugged, still lost deep inside of his thoughts. Draco Malfoy….he didn’t understand that boy. It wasn’t as if Harry felt some sort of hate towards the guy. Sure, he was a git and a general pompous ass, but hate to the extent of which he would want to kill the guy….that wasn’t what he felt. He was someone that had to be handled properly, somehow. He had the Dark-Mark now, and that wasn’t anything to joke about. How did he take the Dark-Mark? Was he forced to do so by his father? Or was he happy to do so? ‘What am I talking about? Of course, he’s happy to do so! His father’s Lucius Malfoy, and he always has hated the Muggleborns!’  
“Harry.” Harry looked up at Ron, who was surprisingly staring at him intently. “Be honest with me about this. Do you fancy Hermione?”  
Harry choked, not knowing what to say about this. He opened his mouth, and then closed it. He blinked, his face flushing a deep red as he comprehended the sentence that Ron had spoken. The answer was obvious.  
He was having dreams about her, dreams that involved them much more than friends. He was thinking about her all the time when he wasn’t thinking about Voldemort. Most of his spare time he spent with Ron and Hermione, though mostly Hermione. She would always sit with him in the evenings alone and help him with his nightmares and other issues. Yes, he had a crush on Hermione Granger.  
“I….I do.” Harry said, ashamed to admit it to his friend who always had fancied Hermione. “I really do have a crush on her. Yeah….”  
“Knew it,” Ron mumbled, shaking his head. “You know, I also fancied her.”  
“I know….” Harry scratched his cheek. “But….I can’t help it really. She’s always been our best friend, she’s always helped us out. She’s always helped me out, and I can’t help but fall for her.”

“Good. Then the best thing for you to do is perhaps pursue her.” Ron said. Harry blinked, looking at him strangely. “Mate, I won’t lie. She’s beautiful. Extremely beautiful. I used to think we’ll get along in the long run, but you and I both know that she’d prefer someone more grounded than me. Someone like you. Besides….she’s had an eye for you from the start. I don’t even come close to the competition.”  
“Don’t think like that Ron!” Harry said, his eyes widening. “I’m pretty sure you have a better chance than me! You know exactly how my life is!”  
“And that is why you’ve already won. She likes it. The danger, the exhilaration, the way you’ve bonded, it’s all upon that. I won’t lie. I am jealous, heavily as so. But not of you and Hermione. No, I’m jealous of your bond.” Ron said, shaking his head. “I’ve got nothing. I’m a stupid idiot barely getting passable grades that also because of the 2 of you. I’m from a poor family, which means that basically, I am a buff.”  
“Don’t think like that mate. You’re good. You’re really good.” Harry said, patting him on the knee. “And I’m sure you’ll also find someone who’ll like you for who you are and what you are. I know it.”  
“I hope so too mate.” Ron shook his head, looking at Harry. Something flashed between them, something well and good and they both nodded then. “Harry….take care of her. Hermione is special.”  
“I know. I promise, I will.” Harry said, nodding. “I’ll take care of her, and make sure she never, never feels she made a mistake. I don’t know if it’ll ever come to that, we’ve got Voldemort to worry about, but that doesn’t mean I don’t fancy her. I….I’m pretty sure I’m beyond fancying at this point. I’m pretty sure I love her.”  
“That’s for the 2 of you to work out,” Ron said, shaking his head. He needed to get that out between them. He knew between Hermione and Harry, there was no competition. They were made for each other.  
The only thing they had to do was get around from their running about each other and actually end up together. They had to tell each other before it was too late.


	6. Chapter 6

“You’re insane,” Hermione said the minute Harry told her about Draco Malfoy and his supposed Death Eater Membership. “And I’m pretty sure the lack of sleep is causing you to go delirious.”  
“Hey!” Harry protested to that. “I assure you am not insane, and I am getting enough sleep!”  
“4 hours a night is not enough.” Hermione Dryly replied. “And Draco Malfoy being a Death Eater is as unlikely as you actually liking Snape.”  
Harry gave her a look, and she stared right back at him. She didn’t know where this idea had gotten into his head. The thought of that measly little Ferret being a Death Eater was as insane as Voldemort sleeping in footy pyjamas and clutching teddy bears during the night. It was completely insane to even think of. And yet, here Harry was sure of it that there was something about Draco Malfoy that he was sure had caused the boy to become a Death Eater.  
“I am sure of what I saw, Hermione, I am sure of it.” Harry insisted again. “I’m not insane or seeing things I”  
“Harry.” Hermione closed the book that she was reading and sighed. “I know you are paranoid, but simply looking at the symbol enough is not proof to declare him as a Death Eater. What has he done to be declared as one?”

“I…” Harry spluttered, and floundered, looking for an excuse and found none. “I don’t know…”  
“That’s the first thing anyone will ask you. You saw what you are sure is a Dark Mark, but no one else knows about it. Tell me, how is this different from what everyone was doing with you the last year?” Hermione asked, narrowing her eyes at him. “And don’t look at me like that!”  
“It’s different!” Harry protested, narrowing his eyes. “They labeled me as a deranged madman even when I was always saying the truth!”  
“And you, without knowing the full picture, acted like a brat throughout the year!” Hermione exclaimed back. “Think of it, Harry! No matter how hard you look, no matter how better the odds you have against Voldemort other than anyone but Dumbledore, you are still nothing in comparison to him!”  
“You think I don’t know that?!” Harry growled out. “I get nightmares about it all night! I know that more than you do! And how does that even have anything to do with me claiming Malfoy is a Death Eater?!”  
“You claiming Malfoy is a Death Eater has the same base as the UK Ministry labeling you like a deranged madman. Where is your proof he is a death Eater? For all, you know it could have been a tattoo. Did you see his hands? Did you actually perform the test on him to showcase him as a Death Eater?!” Hermione asked back aggressively. Harry bit his lip, shaking his head in the negative. “So no, unless you have serious proof that he is up to no good, he cannot be a Death Eater. Remember Harry, it is not illegal to be a Death-Eater nor is it a crime to be one, unless and until they are found doing a crime. If an investigation actually proves that Malfoy has committed a crime, then you cannot be imprisoned!”

“…..” Harry groaned. “Damn it, why are you like you are? Can’t you for once not use logic for everything?!”  
“It has saved our lives.” Hermione deadpanned, scoffing. “So, will you go around proclaiming him a Death Eater?”  
“No,” Harry grumbled. “Can’t mean that I suspect about it though.”  
“Oh, do that how-much ever you want. Just don’t obsess about him. As we talked, we have a lot to do this year. A lot.” Hermione said, narrowing her eyes. “And you know we do.”  
“I know.” Harry sighed. “I promised I’ll teach you some more offensive spells, and you’ll help me bring my charms and Transfigurations up to par.”  
“Good.” Hermione nodded. “Because we’ll be getting our OWL results soon enough, and I’m sure you can improve a bit on them.”  
“I have a much greater aptitude towards Battle Magics, rather than normal ones.” Harry shrugged. “Don’t know why just….get them, I suppose. You ask me to perform a Lumos, and I’ll do it, but you ask me to perform a Stupefy, and it’ll be much better.”  
“It’s your aptitude, your way of life. I’m sure in the future you can be a great wizard mastering in DADA.” Hermione smiled reassuringly. “And knowing you, you’ll actually manage it faster than anyone else.”  
“Knowing me, I’ll simply want a calm, peaceful life.” Harry deadpanned back. “With a couple of children, maybe a nice house by a lake or something.”  
“Children?” Hermione asked, her brow furrowing. “Where did that come from?”

“Look. I want a family, alright. You of all people don’t need to know me more to realize how much I…..well….don’t like my relatives.” Harry said, sighing, feeling his cheeks heat up. “I….think after, if, we manage to down him, I’ll have a family of my own. Don’t care about a job, my parents left me with enough to not worry about one for a while, and I really want some peace. A vacation, maybe.”  
“I’m sure you’ll get a chance,” Hermione said, not knowing what else to say about all that. It was the first time she and Harry had gone so deep into his plans for the future. “I’m sure. You are…well, as I said. You are what you make yourself to be. If that is your goal for the future, I’ll stand right by you!”  
Harry gave her a smile, a warm, wide one that left butterflies in her chest, as she thought about his ‘goal’ for the future. She didn’t know what had come over her, or what she was wondering about, but she knew, exactly, that the vision she had of her future, as a successful woman completing her goals of equality to all magical now included an equally successful Harry Potter by her side, and 2 fuzzy haired, green eyed kids with glasses as well. She found she rather liked the thought.


	7. Chapter 7

“Oh my god, they’re here. They’re here. They’re here!” The next day, as if it was some sort of a miraculous coincidence, 3 black owls carrying 3 letters from the Ministry of Magic appeared on the window of the Burrow. Hermione instantly knew what that was, and she had jumped at Harry, clenching his hands tightly, panicking the hell out. Her eyes were absolutely wide, and she was more than a bit panicky, especially because these were the OWL results that they got for a whole year of study. It was completely different from everything else that they had gone through, up until now, at least, and she didn’t know how to deal with it.  
“Calm down Hermione, they’re just results,” Ron said, poking the hornet's nest, and then he had to almost jump aside as Hermione shot him the meanest look that she was able to conjure, which was pretty mean in truth. “Damn, angry much?”  
“You know how she gets, Ron.” Harry rolled his eyes, clenching her hand back reassuringly. “Calm down, Hermione. You’re amazing, you know that you’re going to pass, and with all Os at that.”  
“You can’t say that for sure!” Hermione almost wailed out, and Harry rolled his eyes, walking towards the birds to get the letters off their legs and open them to read the said letters. Surprising even himself, she didn’t let go of his hand and walked with him to the owls. “Don’t let go!”  
“She’s surprisingly frantic…”  
“Almost as if she doesn’t want to let go of her chosen one…”  
“Oh my, do we sense a conspiracy here?”

Fred and George waggled their eyebrows, and Harry groaned, opening the letters and passing Hermione’s to her, and opening his one himself.  
“Let’s see….O in DADA, E in COMC, Charms, Herbology, Potions and Transfigurations, A in Astronomy, P in Divinations and D in History.” Harry murmured. “Not bad. Not bad at all.”  
“I’ve got no O’s, unfortunately. But….let’s see….E in COMC, Charms, DADA, Herbology and Transfigurations, A in Astronomy and Potions, D in Divinations and P in History.” Ron called out, shrugging. “Thought so, really.”  
“That’s very well done, Ron! That’s 7 OWLs!” Molly gushed. She knew her youngest son had problems with studies, but for him, this was a very good achievement. “And you too Harry! An Outstanding in DADA is amazing!”  
“Thank you, Mrs. Weasley.” Harry smiled at her. “I know it’s not as good as you’d expect me to be, but I’m glad it’s good enough.”  
“I’m sure James and Lily would be proud of you,” Arthur added. “Provided Lily would scold you for failing 2 subjects even if they’re the most boring, worst subjects the world has seen.”  
“I honestly would have liked that,” Harry said, looking at Hermione, whose face was still frozen. “What about you, Hermione? Anything other than Os?”  
“E….in DADA…” Hermione mumbled. “But all others are Os.”  
“See, told you!” Harry pointed out, smiling. “You yourself said you have an aptitude for studying, while I have for use. Besides, it’d be seriously sad on my part if I didn’t beat in in the subject I’ve got an aptitude for.”  
“Oh shut up.” Hermione rolled her eyes and gave him a bright smile. “Thank you for believing in me, Harry!”  
“Like there was any doubt.” Ron snorted. “So, you’ll be taking DADA, Transfigurations, Charms, and Herbology too then?”  
“And COMC,” Harry said distractedly. “I want to keep my options open. I know mostly I wish to be an Auror, but it helps if I have a ‘back-up’ plan.”

“That is indeed a good idea. A back-up always helps out. COMC is a very good subject, looked upon in very bright light in certain circles. You get several potential jobs open for you in that, Goblin Liaison, Dragon Handler, Magizoologist. Though with Dada, the 2 jobs you definitely can go on for are the Auror jobs, and the Curse-Breaker ones.” Bill said, walking into the main room. “Congrats Harry, Ron, Hermione. You did well. In the long run, it’s not your grades but your performance that will be seen.”  
“Doesn’t Cursebreaking require Runes?” Harry asked, accepting the ‘congratulations’ with a smile. “Considering most tombs are sealed off….”  
“Not always. Curse Breaking is a very important job, usually done in 3 parts.” Bill said, a grin on his face. “There’s the runic portion, then the exploring portion, and finally the excavating one. The units handle the first part, the spell masters the 2nd part and the mooks the 3rd part. Well….we call them mooks. In truth they’re the best artists, carvers, and labors you’ll find. They’re seriously good at what they do.”  
“Huh, that’s another prospect then. I was looking at Auror or Dragon Handler. Curse Breaker is also a good prospect….” Harry nodded and shrugged. “Well, first I’ll have to handle another problem before I go so far ahead if you know what I mean.”  
“Quiet.” Molly said, giving Harry a ‘Look’. “Now, as you all have your school letters as well, perhaps you should open them?”  
As usual, Ron and Hermione were prefects, not that Harry wanted to be one. His interest was in the badge he had gotten, with the words Captain on it.  
“Nice one Mate! Knew you’d be captain!” Ron called out, patting Harry on the shoulder. Harry blinked, looking at the captain’s badge in his hands, and he smiled, widely at that. “You got your firebolt back, didn’t you? You’ll lead us to victory for sure!”  
“You deserve it!” Hermione added. “You really do! You’re the best quidditch player in the school now!”  
“Thank you….that seriously means a lot to me,” Harry said, his face threatening to break apart due to the size of the grin. “I….thank you!”  
It was the first time he had been praised like this, and he wouldn’t lie. It felt nice. It felt really nice. And he couldn’t help but look to the future and hope things wouldn’t change.


	8. Chapter 8

“What are we going to do now?” After the small ‘party’ that they had, and their results were given to them, Harry and Hermione once again met up in the main room of the Weasley House. They had nothing else to do, neither of them could go to sleep, and the best thing that they potentially could do was just sit about and sleep.  
But since they couldn’t, they would have to stay in each other’s company, and perhaps do whatever they could think of to pass the time. It wasn’t a bad plan, really speaking. It would give them both some seriously needed ‘alone time’, which they did need between both of them. They did need the alone time simply to let the feelings that were glowing in their hearts grow up. It was a good plan because really sitting around alone and talking to each other did help them out, a lot.  
“This year is going to be strange.” Hermione sighed finally. “Especially because….well….”  
“Voldemort is out in the open?” Harry asked, and Hermione nodded. “Yeah, I know. It’s going to be ugly. You know, S Sirius used to tell me about how, during his time in Hogwarts, several Slytherin students were already Death-Eaters in their higher years. I am not talking about Malfoy, but the others. I honestly don’t know what we’ll do if that happens in our year.”

“I don’t want to think about it really. If there are death-eaters in school, posting as students….. I don’t know what to say about that really.” Hermione winced. “They’d be recruiting, from all the houses. Spreading a message about hate instead of peace, and they’ll be….be….”  
“Spying,” Harry said, his eyes widening in horrified understanding. “They’d be spying on us, on me. Voldemort wouldn’t stand it if there was a new ‘development’ about me without him knowing. I don’t know how much he trusts Snape, but he will…..he will…….will…….”  
“To double-check….” Hermione finished. For a moment, there was silence between both of them. They were looking at each other, thinking about how to get out of the new problem that they were in, and how to handle it, in truth.  
It was something that various had seen and observed, but none of them had ever commented on it. No one even knew how to comment on it, but truthfully they were shocked silent by the serious, serious amount of bonds that Harry and Hermione had.  
Ron could say it that he had personally seen his 2 best friends have conversations with looks alone. They could talk to each other, understand each other, and what they had to do and what had to be done by just looking at each other. They were strangely very initiative about what the other was going to do, which was a very good thing. In all honesty, it was an amazing thing because that meant the bonds that the2 of them had was so good, they didn’t need anything to keep it floating.  
Several had tried to break this bond, so many times that it was ridiculous. It was utterly ridiculous and utterly insane, but it never broke down. It was always what it was and what it would be, a simple bond that was never meant to break up. A bond meant to shine brighter than any other bond in the entire school.

“The room,” Harry said finally. “We’ll be using the room. That way we will know exactly how to get rid of the spies.”  
“No,” Hermione said instantly. Harry’s eyebrow rose. “Think of it, Harry! The entire DA knows where the room is, and now everyone else does as well! If we use the room…..”  
“Then they may know.” Harry realized, nodded. “…..Where else, then? We can’t use the Gryffindor common room. We can’t use any other classrooms. We will have to use…..”  
“Hagrid’s hut,” Hermione said, and Harry stared at her incredulously. “It’s the best place to hold meetings. Hagrid’s hut is extremely isolated, no Slytherin will visit there, and we’ll not have to worry about snoopers, we can check every single time we are there.”  
“You are forgetting it is not necessary for a Death Eater to be a Slytherin. As long as they’re Purebloods, they can be Death-Eaters. Half Bloods too.” Harry said, scowling. “That’s a place, yes, but not a firm one. We’ll think of something. The room of Requirement is a liability, yes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use it alone. We need other spots where only the 2 of us can sit together and have some conversations like this. There’s the 3rd-floor corridor, where the mirror was kept.”  
“But teachers know about it. If we are suspecting Snape to be disloyal and snooping around, then he can simply tell other ‘agents’ inside of the school about it, and lead them there.” Hermione pointed out. “So not that as well. You’re right. We’ll have to think of something. We have to.”  
“Otherwise all will be compromised. Really.” Harry nodded. “…..You know what, I’ve had enough of this. Let’s talk about this sometime later.”  
Harry nodded, though inside of his head, he knew for certain that he would have to truly think of this entire thing more. He didn’t want Voldemort to know about his moves more so than he already knew, and he didn’t want Snape to try and find out about what he and Hermione were doing.  
Most of all, he didn’t want anyone to worry about Hermione being targeted because of him. He did not want her to be afraid of being killed because she was affiliated with him. He knew that if she did anything of the sort, she would smack him around with a beater’s bat, she had made it clear that they were going to be together against Voldemort no matter what happened.  
Harry wanted to change that. He wanted to change it to ‘we’re going to be together, forever, no matter what happened’.


	9. Chapter 9

Harry was sore. He was dreadfully sore. In fact, he was more than just sore. He was tired. He couldn’t sleep. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t sleep. Every time he did, he was always reminded of Sirius, and his face was always there right in front of him, looking at him, smiling at him, laughing with him.  
It was not fair, it was so not fair that he got to live, and Sirius had to die. It was so unfair that he didn’t know what to think about his life. If he tried to do something rash, Hermione would kill him. He couldn’t go out on a ‘walk’ around the Weasley house because that would have him under fire from about everyone involved. But he couldn’t just sit about and wonder what on earth to do. There were a lot of things running through his mind, and he didn’t know how to handle them all. He didn’t. He really didn’t.  
“Harry?” That is why he had once again gotten up, and gotten to the main-room of the Burrow. It was the 30th of August, just 2 days before they had to return to Hogwarts, and this time he had no other chance, no other idea as to what to do to get rid of the nightmares. Remus being here was more surprising than anything.  
“Hey, Remus.” Harry said, his tired green eyes looking at his godfather’s best friends. In fact, his father’s best friend. “Sorry, I couldn’t sleep.”  
“Nightmares?” Remus asked, a knowing tone in his voice. Harry winced, nodding. “*Sigh*. You remember, when I told you there were horrors you’ve seen-.”

“That no one I can comprehend, or even scarcely begin to imagine? Yeah, I know.” Harry nodded. “Every year it is something different. The first year it was Quirrel. The second year the basilisk. Third year dementors. 4th year the tournament and 5th year well the last thing I want to talk about is my 5th year.”  
“And all your mother was able to talk about was her 5th year,” Remus said, shaking his head and taking a seat. “….It’s not good. Your nightmares, they’re seriously not good.”  
“Well snape attempted to teach me occulumency, but he hates my guts. I’m pretty sure screaming at me to ‘close my mind’ and ‘clearing my brain’ and then mind raping me is not the way to go.” Harry deadpanned. “I want to learn it, I really do. But I don’t have the capability to do it.”  
“No one did. Not even James or Lily. They knew about the practice and tried their hardest to use it, but they weren’t good enough. Some people, Harry, are born with the ability to use mental magics. You are not. But don’t let it make you feel as if you’re wrong.” Remus said, patting Harry’s knees. “You have a gift that neither of your parents did.”  
“If you’re going to say luck and love then you’re going to be hexed, underage or not.” Harry snorted, rubbing his aching forehead.  
“No. Not that. You have something that they never did. That perception of yours. Lily could make things out, but only if small bits of information we're given to her. James was obvious, more so than anything. He spent years thinking his tenacity and his stubbornness had won Lily over, but that wasn’t it. He really did change at the end of his 7th year that caused her to fall for him.” Remus said, shaking his head. “Neither James, nor Lily, had the guts nor the perception to make things out, and create a firm picture in a place like you do. Sure, Lily was far smarter than you, and I’d say even Hermione, she wasn’t called the brightest witch of her age for anything. James was more outgoing than you, and he was also quite book-smart.”

“Something that I clearly haven’t inherited.” Harry scoffed. “What a useless idiot I am.”  
“Harry, James, and Lily would be proud of your grades. They wouldn’t care about it as long as you passed. That is what love is. They loved you, more than anything. I won’t lie when I say Sirius and I didn’t have as good grades either. I was like you, excelling in Defense, but just beyond adequate in everything else. And yet you did something that they never could.” Remus said, his eyes surprisingly intent-filled. “You have more magical power within you than James and Lily combined did because neither of them could make a Patronus, a corporeal one, till after graduation. I was the first one to get it in our group. You got it in your 3rd year and taught students how to use it in their 4th and 5th years. I am not lying when I say it’s a spell most adults flounder with. Combined with your affinity towards Defence, it is no surprise that You-Know-Who is wary of you.”  
“Ha! What a good joke.” Harry snorted. “He is the last person that should be wary of me.”  
“The very fact you survived thrice against him is more than enough for the man to be afraid of you,” Remus said. “Believe in yourself, Harry. Believe in yourself. Your parents and Sirius, all of them are with you, no matter what path you choose. I am with you as well.”  
“Thank you,” Harry mumbled, shaking his head. “I….. I don’t know how life would have been with them. I would have been like Malfoy, had they lived to spoil me. And yet I would sell my own soul for that.”

“I know. I miss my own parents as well, every single day. But that doesn’t mean we should live in the past.” Remus said, and a distinctive marauder-like look appeared in his eyes. “And considering your feelings for young Ms. Granger, I doubt you will.”  
Harry spluttered, his earlier frustration and fear forgotten as he looked at Remus witheringly, while the older man chuckled. Yes, Remus Lupin had no doubt that James and Lily Potter would have been utterly proud of their son.


	10. Chapter 10

‘I need to work on my ‘battle perception’.’ Harry thought, rubbing his just healed nose as he walked out of the Great Hall of Hogwarts.  
The past 2 days had been….eventful to say the least. Firstly, Ginny had been acting strangely around him. Harry didn’t know why, but he didn’t care. He was sure that she had gotten over the ‘crush’ that she had on him, and he honestly didn’t want to poke that hornet’s nest. She was in a relationship with Dean Thomas, and all he could say was she better be happy about it.  
Secondly, Malfoy definitely was a Death Eater. He had talked with Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini about it, and Harry had to admit that his Death Eater hood was not a surprise to him. But he knew that shouting it at the top of his lungs wasn’t going to help. He still had no proof of what he was up to, what his mission in Hogwarts was, and what he had to do. In fact, he didn’t have enough proof to tell his teachers nor Hermione about it. That is why he had kept it silent within himself.  
What really rubbed him off wrong was he was foolish enough to be caught by the boy, and then be stunned by him. If he was against Voldemort, he would be dead. And yet, Draco neither crowded about his victory nor did he seem smug about it. If anything, he was looking more silent and solemn than anything. As if he was in some Mid-Life crisis.  
Finally was Slughorn, and his new Potions Professorship. Why was Horace Slughorn the Professor for Potions, he didn’t know. Severus Snape being the Professor for DADA was the worst thing that had ever happened to Harry. If Umbridge hated him, Snape would rather kill him himself. Harry had no doubts the man was going to try and sabotage his education. That is why he was planning on reading the books all over again and had even begun the art of silent-casting, able to do most 1st and the second year spells without being worried about it.

Well, he had done so on the train, just to try it. Hermione had been more than impressed about it, and so was Ron, but they didn’t have the time to try it themselves. He didn’t either, as he and Neville had been invited over to one of Slughorn’s little ‘Tea Parties’, where the man had tried to make him join his ‘Slug Club’. Harry didn’t know what to do about the situation, and instead, he decided to join in, just for the sake of it. He knew Slughorn was trying to take advantage of his fame, Dumbledore had warned him of such.  
That was the most surprising event. Dumbledore calling him over right after the great feast just to talk to him. Why did the man want to talk to him about anything just after the Great Feast was beyond him?  
“Ah, Harry! Glad you are on time.” The minute he stepped out of the revolving staircase behind the portrait that leads him up top, the man greeted him. “Come in, come in, we have much to discuss.”  
“I do not want to be in detention the first day again, Professor,” Harry said, shaking his head. “Though considering Professor McGonagall was the one to give me the password, I’d say she knows.”  
“She does, and so do the rest of the staff. You’ll find us talking a lot more this year.” Dumbledore said, motioning towards the seat. “Let us begin by me saying that you do not need to worry about Mr. Malfoy.”  
“You know?” Harry asked, surprised, and then he scowled. “Why are you letting him attend, Professor!? He’s a Death Eater! He should-.”  
“If I expel him, then I could do the same with you. With Ms. Granger. With everyone that was in your little club last year. I could have done the same to your father and his friends because of the incident in their 6th year.” Dumbledore said, interrupting him, and giving him a rather grim look. “You will find, my boy, that some times you should not give up hope in someone. Humans have a surprising ability to change and make others understand the change. I can see that in you yourself. Last year you were not so confident when you walked.”

“Last year I was deluding myself and acting out like a brat,” Harry said or muttered to himself. “And I realized if I didn’t buckle up, then people I am close to were going to die.”  
“Indeed. That is why, I ask of you, to leave Mr. Malfoy alone. Whatever he is up to, it will be revealed eventually. Your focus, rather, should be on your studies and on our little lessons.” Dumbledore said, a familiar twinkle appearing in his eyes. “I am sure you know the name, Tom Marvolo Riddle?”  
“Yes,” Harry said, deadpanning at the man again. “I know who he is, and all about him.”  
“But do you, Harry? Do you truly know your enemy? Do you know what makes Lord Voldemort so terrifying, so horrifying?” Dumbledore asked. “Trust me, when I say, there is more to Tom than meets the eye. And that is what we will be learning together. We will be understanding Tom Riddle, and exactly what makes him so formidable. And it is in his past itself that we will get the answer to the question ‘how do you complete the prophecy’.”  
“…..” Harry looked at the man and sighed. “Very well, Professor. I believe you. Let us learn about him.”  
He didn’t know why, but this very day, this very moment had changed much of the path that he was going to take in the future, and strangely for the first time, this realization wasn’t filled with self-doubt and fear, but rather confidence and anxious excitement.  
‘Remus was right. I need to tell her. I need to tell Hermione about my feelings, so we can tackle Voldemort, and his past, together.’


End file.
